In Part 1 of this blog series, we addressed the desire of Millennials to have flexibility in the workplace, with opportunities to work remotely as needed, while not sacrificing the job security and a healthy work/home life balance.
Today, we will delve into the desire for transparency between bosses and employees, as well as the need to better oneself in the workplace.
Millennials are highly educated, and expect to be treated as such.
According to a study by Deloitte, younger employees value honesty and straight talk in an employer.
A full 66% of those surveyed said they valued business leaders who spoke plainly and straightforward to them, rather than trying to impress them with buzzwords and jargon. It’s all about “Respect,” according to James Hyun, an animator.
Transparency goes a long way when it comes to employee/employer relations, but not because today’s employees are any less equipped to handle abstract concepts than previous generations. Millennials have been called the most educated generation to date. The emphasis on education means that Millennials are often exposed to some of the best in their field even before they enter the workforce, and they want to continue working with them.
Despite accusations that Millennials have delusions of grandeur, they do not expect to work with the best because they think they are better than everyone else.
They want to work with the best to improve themselves.
Younger workers are looking to work with people who are going to innovate, create, and challenge each other constantly.
“I want to work for a company that gives me opportunities to newly and further develop industry skills,” said Sarah Collmus, a Millenial and Engineer with General Electric, “so I can more confidently navigate my job while adding to my value with the company.”
Millennials are looking to be better at their jobs because they want it to matter.
In fact, according to Forbes, Millennials are obsessed with feedback.
They always want to know how they could be doing their jobs better. Frank Femia, a Computer Science student at Rochester Institute of Technology, stated he was looking for “the ability to make a difference” at a company.
While it may be true that not all young workers are expecting to change the world, they do want to feel like they matter to a company, rather than being a faceless cog in a machine. But this isn’t simply because they are entitled, as some may say, but rather because they place a great deal of importance on personal achievement and individualism.
Are you a millennial? Tell us what you look for in an employer. Are you an employer? Tell us what you look for in your millennial hires. Share your thoughts with us on Twitter @LTronCorp.
So what does all of this mean for employers? Read our 3rd and final installment in this blog series to find out.
